Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

It seems they are both looking for more personal satisfaction and sense of purpose for their efforts. Based on my experience as a business advisor, I recommend that every business owner and entrepreneur focus on the following tips to provide a better work culture: Invest in integrating new technology, not just forcing it.

Tips 159

Tips Satisfaction Coach Mentor 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2021

By definition, all of you entrepreneurs are leaders, by taking the initiative to start a new company. Yet I have learned over the years as a startup advisor that all business leaders are not the same. You generally don’t fix things by throwing them away and starting over. The time to get started is now.

Coach 162

Coach Startup Resource Competition 162

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show. Investments and acquisitions fail.

Training 142

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2022

In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground. Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first.

Examples 145

Examples Mentor Activity Product 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. The crowd gets the satisfaction of helping, with minimal risk, and no expectation of any high return.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Satisfaction Equity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. It’s an amazing ride, and there is no satisfaction like creating something out of nothing.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2015

By definition, every startup is predictably unpredictable, since new solutions have no proven track record, startups are usually building a new market, and the world around them is changing faster than ever. Bring in expert advisors and mentors to set initial goals, and build recovery plans. The solution fails to come together.

Startup 105

Startup Entrepreneur Marketing Satisfaction 105

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2022

Dini, tied together several threads I have often seen in my own experience of mentoring and helping aspiring entrepreneurs. Within each of these types, I can easily highlight strengths and weaknesses that we both see every day in startups: Technicians. Hunter franchisees move on quickly, or end up owning the entire franchise system.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Marketing News Slides 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2019

Most of you aspiring entrepreneurs have no idea how dramatically your own role has to evolve as you develop a solution, start a business, and expect it to scale into a successful self-managed company. For example, I knew Bill Gates back in the early startup days of Microsoft. Lead and mentor team members to run all business areas.

Company 99

Company Companies Technical Review Startup 99

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2015

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show. Investments and acquisitions fail.

Startup 103

Startup Training Coach Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

Of course, starting and running your own business comes with financial and personal risks, so I always recommend that you do your homework first, and follow some tried and proven strategies to improve your odds of success. These days, you can’t start and run a business alone. The key is not to expect any magic or entitlement here.

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2019

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show. Investments and acquisitions fail.

Training 123

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground. Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first.

Product 129

Product Examples Mentor Activity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2019

Perhaps sparked by the now forgotten recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Don’t let it make your startup dysfunctional in resolving future challenges.

Mentor 85

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Summary 85

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 4, 2020

It’s with profound sadness we mourn the loss of a true visionary, author, mentor, thought-leader, investor, and friend, Tony Hsieh. Under Hsieh’s leadership, Zappos revolutionized the apparel industry, and e-commerce in general, by being one of the first to prioritize customer satisfaction and service. By Frank Gruber and Jen Consalvo.

Commerce 207

Commerce Statistics Customer Custom 207

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2019

I’m convinced that is why many great business leaders remember working their way up the ranks. For example, Howard Schultz was not the founder of Starbucks, but started his career in one of their first 60 shops. Be willing to invest in effort, before expecting results. Realize that your growth is related to business success.

Technical Advisors 75

Technical Advisors Startup Satisfaction Customer 75

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

In big business, as well as startups, I have found that your effectiveness can be highly correlated to your ability to build and maintain people relationships, often more so than hard work, or how many hours you give. But, like most other skills, you can learn from these priorities: Everyone benefits from active mentoring.

Tips 95

Tips Mentor Coach Activity 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2016

There seems to be a big debate these days about the best approach to starting a new business. Some argue the only way to start is to drop everything and jump in with both feet, while others recommend an overlapped approach to the lifestyle, including not quitting your day job until you have revenue and a proven business model.

Entrepreneur 63

Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction News 63

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

According to a recent poll , contractors and freelancers could make up half of the American workforce within a decade. Every entrepreneur and every startup needs to have a clear “elevator pitch,” which identifies a unique strength and value they bring to the table. Start today thinking at least one job ahead.

Startup 98

Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2016

In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground. Thus if you want to change the world with your new business, you need to follow the example of startups like Zappos , which hires according to cultural fit first.

Startup 58

Startup Examples Mentor Activity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2015

Perhaps sparked by the recession recovery, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Don’t let it make your startup dysfunctional in resolving future challenges.

Mentor 105

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Satisfaction 105

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2015

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. The crowd gets the satisfaction of helping, with minimal risk, and no expectation of any high return.

Venture Capital 108

Venture Capital Angel Satisfaction Equity 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2012

Every startup faces a myriad of challenges that are well beyond the scope of any founder, so you need a few guiding lights to illuminate the road ahead. I recommend that every early-stage startup find three Advisory Board members. Once your company is past the startup stage, you do need a board of directors.

Startup 95

Startup Technical Review Software Review High Tech 95

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2013

My internal compass has always steered me strongly toward the belief that founders who can scale with their startup companies are better to back that founders who eventually need to hire a CEO. Very few founder CEOs go into the job ever expecting to give up their seat. So give up the CEO role? It’s your baby.

Startup 303

Startup Technical Review Product Blogging 303

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 28, 2014

Perhaps sparked by the recent recession, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Problems will occur in every startup, simply because you are stepping into uncharted territory.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Mentor Technical Review Satisfaction 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2016

Business success begins in the mind of the startup founder and the team. A winning startup is built by an entrepreneur as an embodiment of who you really are rather than an artificial façade built on the myths around Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. And don’t even think you can fake the important attributes once the going gets tough.

Startup 58

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Customer 58

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Dini, tied together several threads I have often seen in my own experience of mentoring and helping aspiring entrepreneurs. Within each of these types, I can easily highlight strengths and weaknesses that we both see every day in startups: Technicians. Hunter franchisees move on quickly, or end up owning the entire franchise system.

Entrepreneur 95

Entrepreneur News Slides Startup 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 5, 2011

Every startup faces a myriad of challenges that are well beyond the scope of any founder, so you need a few guiding lights to illuminate the road ahead. I recommend that every early-stage startup find three Advisory Board members. Once your company is past the startup stage, you do need a board of directors.

Startup 95

Startup Technical Review Software Review High Tech 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2019

Image via Pixabay I’ve always been a bit confused about the difference in a business context between a coach and a mentor. According to many pundits , a mentor shows you the right way based on experience, while a coach brings out the best in you, then let’s you find your own way. Invest in creating real, emotional bonds between people.

Coach 87

Coach Mentor Examples Satisfaction 87

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2021

Start with your own story, the mission of your business, and how to make everyone in your domain, including customers, into advocates and teachers. In addition, he has often stated that his first priority is serving his employees and his extended business family, through coaching, mentoring, and effective communication.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Coach Satisfaction Mentor 123

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

One of the great joys of doing the web series This Week in VC every week is that I get to spend time with great people debating the issues of our day including how our industry is evolving as well as insights into how companies got started, got their initial traction and dealt with adversities. We then spoke about startups.

Startup 286

Startup Venture Capital Web Ideas 286

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2014

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show. Investments and acquisitions fail.

Demand 92

Demand Entrepreneur Startup Training 92

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2018

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show. Investments and acquisitions fail.

Training 55

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 55

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2014

Dini, tied together several threads I have often seen in my own experience of mentoring and helping aspiring entrepreneurs. Within each of these types, I can easily highlight strengths and weaknesses that we both see every day in startups: Technicians. Hunter franchisees move on quickly, or end up owning the entire franchise system.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Startup News Slides 109

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2010

Every startup faces a myriad of challenges that are well beyond the scope of any founder, so you need a few guiding lights to illuminate the road ahead. I recommend that every early-stage startup find three Advisory Board members. Once your company is past the startup stage, you do need a board of directors. Marty Zwilling.

Invest 50

Invest Technical Review Software Review High Tech 50

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2015

Dini, tied together several threads I have often seen in my own experience of mentoring and helping aspiring entrepreneurs. Within each of these types, I can easily highlight strengths and weaknesses that we both see every day in startups: Technicians. Hunter franchisees move on quickly, or end up owning the entire franchise system.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur News Slides Startup 106

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2017

Thus most investors I know claim to invest in the person, rather than the product. In the same way, you may think that people assessment is all about skills and experience, but as a mentor to business owners, I have learned to look more for the right attitude, persistence, and determination, as success factors.

Software Review 57

Software Review Technical Review Startup Press 57